Real Weddings: Julia & Michael

A Vintage Glamorous Wedding

Opulent doesn’t even begin to describe Julia and Michael’s glamorous wedding! When the couple first set out to plan their wedding day, they knew a few things to be true: They wanted their day to feel old-fashioned and romantic, they wanted to feature gold detailing, and they knew that the chic wedding details they craved could add up in the budget department. So they DIYed their way to the perfect wedding day! Almost everything they brought to their wedding was DIY: from the tablecloths, to the mirrored seating chart, table numbers, centerpieces, most stationery, bonbonniere (favors), and more. The result was exactly as they envisioned, and because they worked so hard on DIY elements, they didn’t have to compromise their vision one bit.

Michael and I met through mutual friends and had an instant connection, when we were 18 and 20. My family had just moved overseas after I’d finished high school, and I had just commenced at university. Feeling homesick for my mother’s wonderful Vietnamese cooking, I asked friends to join me at a local Vietnamese restaurant, and one of them brought her new friend, Michael. I was struck at first sight, and we were pretty much inseparable, in heart if not physically ever since. We spent 10 years courting, finishing our relative studies, and travelling, studying and working overseas, before moving in together and starting our lives together in Canberra nearby family and adopting our furbabies, Snowy the Japanese Spitz and Tintin the rescue kitten.

How did he propose?

Michael proposed on April 1st 2015, which was a significant date; he proposed with his grandmother’s beautiful solitaire diamond engagement ring, which she had worn for the duration of her long marriage to Michael’s grandfather. April 1st was the date that Michael’s grandfather had proposed to his grandmother, and so Michael wanted to follow this tradition especially using that ring. He did add his own flair, however, having starting the day with various April fool’s jokes designed to trick (and simultaneously terrify) me. After a full morning of tricks and jokes (some involving fake spiders), he went to the cupboard to make me breakfast, and when he turned around from the cupboard, he got down on one knee, with the ring box and proposed to me. After I said yes (having checked it wasn’t a joke first), he then recreated our first date for the rest of the day, including a meal at the restaurant where we first met.

How did you choose your wedding gown?

I didn’t have specific inspiration for my gown, I just wanted to choose a gown that made me feel myself, and this was perfect. I loved my wedding dress: a fit and flare, strapless luxurious satin gown designed by Cristiano Lucci. It featured an intricate beaded belt and a dramatic beaded skirt and train. I loved how this gown made me feel and how it fitted on the day! It matched the glamorous wedding theme I was hoping for.

My something blue was offered by my delicate lace garter, which my maid of honour and best friend had bought for me when we were travelling together in Venice in 2012, long before the engagement!

What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?

I wanted an old fashioned, glamorous wedding with romantic touches. Our main colours were gold, and we added accents of creams, soft pinks, and maroons. I once saw a wedding photo shoot set in a forest, with strong bold berry colours and accented with metallics. I was inspired by the bold colours and how beautiful they were alongside the metallics, so we developed the mix of creams, pinks and maroons to contrast leafy greens in the flowers, with a strong a gold base. I fell in love the champagne gold sequin fabrics and sought out elegant bridesmaids gowns to bring the dream to life! I was also able to source matching gold sequin fabric overseas, and created all the table coverings to match.

Any DIY décor elements?

Almost everything was DIY! We did the tablecloths, mirrored seating chart, table numbers, centerpieces, most stationery, and bonbonniere (favors), amongst other things!

If you could do it all over again, what would you change?

I would take more photos with my family, as we somehow missed the opportunity because it was so busy!

Any tips for future brides?

My tips for enjoying the engagement: Really remind yourself that the wedding is a celebration of your love and commitment to each other, forever. We took on a lot of family support and ideas, which proved to be stressful. We wanted to make sure our families were happy, and took that stress on willingly, as our families have done so much for us. In the end though, we just had to remember that the day would mean we’d be married, and all the stresses sort of became insignificant.

My tips for planning: I adored wedding planning, at every stage. Our relatively short engagement period meant we had to be decisive in decision-making and I loved what we came up with. I felt that the day was a perfect representation of what we both wanted, which was so important. I also kept in mind that in the end, the day will be what it is! Money can be stressful too, so make sure to use DIY options if they’re available.

My tips for the wedding day: BREATHE! I nearly forgot to do this so many times. Hopefully you’ll have surrounded yourselves with vendors and people you trust. So take a back seat to the operational aspect of the day, and focus on the actual event: marrying your fiancé!

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comments

Oh wow! Everything and I mean everything is stunning! Everything ties in perfectly. Your dress is so unique, the detail is gorgeous. Your make-up and hair are lovely. You must have worked very hard throughout the planning and you can tell. Congratulations on your lovely big day! You’re going to have some gorgeous photos, don’t take too long in deciding on your photos so you can get some up in your home and show them off.